The ad, which focuses on Bush's recent drumbeating and chest thumping for a War on Iran in light of his plummeting poll ratings (haven't we seen this bad movie before?), brought still more interesting reaction in it's second incarnation. More on that in a second.

We're kind of tired, at VR, of being out in front of so many of these issues (Election Reform, Media Reform, Downing Street Memos, getting Out of Iraq, Accountability for Bush/Cheney) before the media and the politicians figure it out. But now it seems that's where we are again. For an example, see Seymour Hersh's New Yorkerarticle just out, which reports the Bush Administration "has increased clandestine activities inside Iran and intensified planning for a possible major air attack."

As if that's not disturbing enough, Hersh's article, as well as another report today from WaPo points out such an air attack is being planned to include the use of tactical nuclear weapons! Hello?!

Rather than waiting until after it's a done deal, as with Iraq, the time to push back is now. Especially since Fox "News", as David Edwards reported this morning, is already back in their reliable embedded position for the Bush Administration and this morning were all too happy to smear Hersch on the air.

Most of the reaction to VR's ads on Iran have been extremely supportive. And then there was this postcard we received late last week...

FRONT:

BACK:

Oh, well. Can't please 'em all. (And we're still trying to figure out that "ADL ISLAMIC" comment which seems a tad oxymoronic to us, but what do we know about Christianity?)

If you'd like to piss off other good "Christians" like our big fan above, please donate generously to VR so we can continuing spreading the love --- and getting the word out to the public about what's really going on here! --- through more such campaigns in the future.

As a Christian, I can tell you that this person does NOT speak for all of us.

There are those of us who feel that treading the path to Armageddon is not what Jesus had in mind when He told us to "feed my sheep."

I know in my heart that Jesus will soon return and
will judge us all on the bases of what is in our hearts and our actions as a result.

This is only my opinion; however, I seriously doubt those who advocate incessant war (including nuclear war) will be included as a "sheep" when Jesus separates everyone into "sheep" and "goat" classifications.

It's hard to see Jesus through the guise of the vitriol of the neocon advocates (irrespective of what Mr. DeLay says) or through the dust raised from a mushroom cloud.

The Catholic Church should be partitioned, kind of like North and South Korea. Those that follow Christ's teachings can be South Catholicism, and characters like Patrick can be North Catholicism.

It would be futile to remind North Catholic Patrick that the late Pope was opposed to our invasion of Iraq. Or that the church opposes capital punishment. I imagine the only church position he'd agree with is its blanket opposition to abortion.

But if you look behind the surface, Patrick only uses his religion iconically. He's got the pope and a cardinal on the front of his postcard, and he calls himself a Catholic patriot, but his language and his call to "blow the bastards (up)" have nothing whatsoever to do with the Catholic Church. The word "catholic" means "universal," and if there's one thing that's universally agreed in the world right now, it's that George W. Bush is a dangerous warmonger.

If Patrick said, "I'm a Roman (Catholic) patriot," he'd be closer to the truth. Ancient Romans used jungle beasts to kill early Christians who preached love and peace. Patrick is a good Roman, not a good Catholic. He's also a gigantic phony for using the Pope's image to support a message of hate.

Carter points out that fundamentalism is the same essence in Islamic radicals and in Christian radicals as well. One and the same.

Bob Dylan saw it coming before many did, as his lyrics show:

"Big-time negotiators, false healers and woman haters,
Masters of the bluff and masters of the proposition
But the enemy I see wears a cloak of decency,
All non-believers and men stealers talkin' in the name of religion
And there's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend"

And people like Patrick PROVE that there is an entire movement in Christianity that is JUST AS DANGEROUS as the Islamic fundamentalists out there. Killing doctors who are behaving within the confines of the law because you don't approve of what they are doing? Saying "god" will forgive you because your murderous rampage was "in the name of god"?? And these nut-jobs can't see that that's EXACTLY how the terrorists and "suiciders" look at the world?

who says you can't be completely nuts and still claim to be a "patriot"...I am also a Catholic and a patriot, but not crazy....I wonder if above wacko is with the crowd that thought Kennedy was a "commie"?

IF Patrick is a WW II vet, he's in his eighties and undoubtedly suffering from dementia. But I've seen similar rants on the web in the past few days, naming names and calling for executions. There are some dangerously psychopathic personalities out there and they're gunning for spiritually healthy humans.

For Peg C.: I think you'd have to be demented to write the stuff Patrick did on the back of a postcard with the Pope and Cardinal O'Connor on the front.

But I have Catholic friends who also equate patriotism with religious faith, and equate both with support for Bush. And I'm talking about people with Masters degrees, not demented octogenarians! The more people protest the war and everything Bush does, the angrier and more pious these folks get.

It's very strange, really. There were hardly any Catholics in this country when it was founded. Most Irish came over in the mid-19th century (after the potato famine), and other European Catholics followed from Germany, Italy and Poland decades later. When the Irish arrived, they were widely hated and discriminated against...you'd think they'd be the first to defend Muslims and other minorities here. As late as 1960 Kennedy faced anti-Catholic prejudice in his campaign.

Yet Patrick is typical. Irish Catholics are the most vocal of the uberpatriots, even more so than fundamentalist Baptists. John Birchers, really. I guess once your ethnic group has overcome prejudice, you're free to exercise it against others.

Those interested in the Plame Bush leak may be interested to read investigative journalist Greg Palast's take on this. He claims the potential for racketeering/conspiracy charges are far more serious than the charges that might arise from the leak itself.

See the full article, "GANGSTER GOVERNMENT:
A LEAKY PRESIDENT RUNS AFOUL OF 'LITTLE RICO'" at Palast's website here.

I too am a Christian and I am 100% against bush,I honestly believe this man is insane,bush,that is,lol,but I believe that Jesus is coming soon and He will not allow his people to go thru very much of what is going to be happening.If He tarries,then we need to get rid of bush,but I see no way,it is very discouraging,all we can really do is pray and hold on to our faith and our hats.

Catholics refuse to admit that the Pope & his hierarchy have screwed them because it would mean admitting they've been foolishly following an entire religion for generations that's bogus & not only doesn't give a damn about them, but ruthlessly uses their loyalty to grab ever more power & money for themselves. (Like Republicans foolishly refuse to admit Bush is wrong.)
Isn't the similarity between what the Catholic hierarchy has done to the faithful & what Bush has done to the citizens striking?!
Let's look at the facts:
It was the so-called "beloved" dead Pope's own homeboys (he appointed virtually ALL the Bishops in the world except 5, over the years), that allowed priests & bishops to molest the children of the "faithful" who support the hierarchy & get away with it. The Bishops could have nipped this sex scandal in the bud by hanging the first priest to get caught out to dry--as an example.
Yet they had the gall to let the priests continue doing this to little children (whose parents, mind you, support them in the style they've all grown accustomed to), & chose to protect the PRIESTS from harm instead of protecting the children.
Why can't "the faithful" just forgive them for their heinous crimes you ask?
Because they've never even admitted what they did as a group was gravely wrong & apologized.
Even God himself does not forgive sin in the confessional if you don't admit you're wrong, are truly sorry AND make a serious promise NEVER to do it again. That's what the hierarchy has made US do to get OUR sins forgiven for 2,000 years--are THEY (like Bush) above the law themselves?
And now, the "faithful" have to pay for the HIERARCHY'S malfeasance.
Isn't that ducky?
What was the hierarchy's big response to the sex scandal?
Did they beg our forgiveness? Did they beg us not to leave the church?
No.
They insisted & pressured the "faithful" for MO' MONEY of course!
To cover the litigation.
We have to give even more money now.
Here's a final kicker; The Bishops are PERSONALLY very wealthy men (isn't that the point of being a Bishop?). However, THEY are not paying one dime out of their OWN pockets for their own malfeasance. Hell no.
Let the "faithful" do it! Ha Ha Ha!
They have the gall to close down churches all over America (so young & especially old people that have been going to the same church--which was a block away--for 3 generations now have to go out of town.
The "faithful" have to pay for what the hierarchy did in so many ways. While bishops & priests take their vacations to Europe, live in their own houses--not in the rectory--because they say "there's no privacy" in the rectory--?--we, the "faithful", have to pay the price for what these pampered, nasty old fat-asses did to US & our children--while THEY go scot-free.
How dumb do you have to be to keep going to a church like that?
Maybe you're rotten to the core & desperately want to hold on to the illusion that you're still "saved" because you sit through church on Sunday & give money.
Bush is counting on that to save HIM.

"The Rev. Rick Scarborough, a leading evangelical, frames the movement as the civil rights struggle of the 21st century. "Christians," he said, "are going to have to take a stand for the right to be Christian." "

So, your right to speak up trumps other people's right to feel safe and secure? Your right to spew hate trumps other people's right to not feel threatened while moving about in public?

These "christians" are pathetic. They use their religion to spew hate, exactly like the Islamists they want us to nuke.

Can't wait till these "christians" go to court to have rape laws overturned.. afterall, their right to the persuit of happiness should not be impeded just because that person they want to have sex with doesn't recipricate.

I used to be a very serious Catholic, Vice-Pres of Parish Council, Pres of Social Concerns Committee & so forth: 9 years of Catholic grade school (counting kindergarten) & 4 years of Catholic, all girls high school. My mother was even raised in a Catholic boarding school in California.
When I saw the Church's lame response to the sex scandal---I realized what a horrible sham it all was---not even close to what Jesus taught in the Bible--just a bunch of ruthless old men wanting power & money at any expense for 2,000 years & using fear (of hell--of not being "saved"etc.) to get it (like Bush used fear to get power over people)--I couldn't make myself go back to it.
I still feel close to God though. I don't need them for that.
Is the Church condemning the dead Pope for being directly responsible for the sex scandal?
Hell no.
Too much money is being made over him--they're speeding up the process to declare him a damned SAINT!! Cha-ching!
Oh pluh--eeese.

The Pope said abortion & the Iraq war were both immoral.
But you don't see Catholics demonstrating against Bush's immoral Iraq war--no, just against immoral abortions.
What's wrong with this picture?
Hypocrites.

I'm aware of Irish Catholic history and of the prejudices surviving against them by old-line Protestants, well into the late twentieth century and beyond. And I also know the authoritarian bamboozles the Church perpetrates upon its "flock." But I also know some very sane members of "the one true church," and don't believe (may I be right) that Patrick's hatred and spleen is typical.

I suppose, as the saying goes, "it takes all kinds." But oh, sometimes I wish that it didn't!

# 13 RLM: You said: "Yet Patrick is typical. Irish Catholics are the most vocal of the uberpatriots, even more so than fundamentalist Baptists. John Birchers, really." Ouch.

That "D" is for Duffy. I am Irish, I'm Catholic. I'm liberal and I'm not an aberration. 48% of Catholics voted for Kerry. I don't have an Irish Catholic statistic, but I would be shocked if a majority are "fundamentalists."

And Catholics I know who are Republicans because of the abortion issue, are genuinely conflicted because of the war on the elderly and the poor being conducted by the Bush administration. The belong to St. Vincent de Paul, they vacation with Habitat of Humanity and they donate to Catholic charities. Like RLM I am dumbfounded that intelligent people can't see that the social policies of the Republicans are so anti-Christian (while voting for Bush is going to result in more abortions - people are poor, uneducated, can't afford contraception).

#19 Charlene: My 10 year old grandson and I were in the peace rally on March 19th along with a large contingent from the Peace and Justice Committee from St. Clare parish.

Like all religions, Chrisianity is embued with some good philosophies, some good ideas, some nice-isms, and lofty sayings. But, like all religions, that's just to sucker you in (and keep you there later on.) Once you're part of "the community" of believers, you're told what to do and how to think. And 99 times out of 100, those things you are told are the exact opposite of all the nice sayings, platitudes, and nice philosophies written in their 'holy' books. Then you are brainwashed to think that these contradictions are all okay and perfectly consistent with the old teachings (those nice-isms that suckered you in, remember those?)

Christians are blind to their own programming. It takes a lot to wake them up and make them human again.

Who said you were an alcoholic?
Not me.
You went to a peace rally with your grandson. Good for you.
My point was that the Catholic Church as a GROUP, does not sponsor & organize peace protests against Bush's immoral Iraq war but they do sponsor & organize protests against abortion. Since the Pope declared BOTH issues immoral--why demonstrate against only one & not the other?
I believe it's because they don't want to criticize Bush nor tick off the Republicans with big money to donate in their parish.
That's hypocritical.

I recently spoke to a priest in a neighboring town to ask if his congregation would be joining the other churches & groups in town for a peace rally we were organizing against the war. He said he would wait until his social concerns committee said they wanted to. This came from the LEADER of his parish, the priest, who does whatever he wants with his parish's money & other resources & can lead them any way he wants, mind you.
I said, "Well, you're aware that the Pope declared the Iraq war to be immoral 3 years ago".
He said Yes, but he preferrred to wait.

His parish is still "waiting" as are the other Catholic parishes in the area.
Protestants & non-denominational groups participate.

Congrats to Brad for using this postcard to invite the Anti-Christian and Anti-Catholic gropies to berate religion and a belief in the almighty God.

When I saw a few years ago that Catholics are about 50-50 split between Republican and Democcrat candidates, yet the Protestants are much more Republican, then I wondered why.

I am Catholic. My father's ancestor came from Germany in the 1850's and my mother's ancestors came from France and Canada in the 1780's. The only true non-immigrants are the Native American Indians. So darn near most of us are decended from immigrants. Each immigrant group had their problems with integrating into their new country. The Irish were discrimated against, but the Germans who arrived before 1930 (and their ancestors) were villified in the 1940's as Nazis when that movement in Germany didn't begin until decades after they moved to the USA. Business owners had to change their business names to stay afloat against anti-German and anti-Japanese sentiment. Japanese Americans were locked up by FDR's order. The sentiment is similar to what some Muslims have had to deal with today, unfortunately.

This Patrick does not represent the vast majority of Catholics in this country, even if you would like him to. So like other groups, you try to paint the entire Church with the brush of one falible man.

Why this Patrick says he is Catholic, yet he uses such language and talks about bombing Iran with nukes, is understandable only to him. But unlike Peg C. (who thought that 535 Congress members was 100 too many and did not include the Senate), I will not attack WWII veterans.

The WWII veterans and those who worked at home for the war effort are responsible for saving the world from Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan who tried to take over much of the world. Their blood, sweat, and lives kept Europe and the Pacific from domination by a government much worse than what you people complain about today.

One grandson of my ancestor who came from Germany was killed onboard his ship in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. He was 20 years old.

Tom Brokaw was right in calling the WWII generation the "Greatest Generation". Do you doubt that? Understand history and respect their sacrifice for us.

Charlene, you let your feelings about the sex scandal lead you away from your faith. So you rebel against your mother's teachings. Too bad. What you fail to understand is that faith in GOD is higher than faith in men, even Catholic priests and yes, even the Pope. You let your disappointment in MEN who are supposed to represent the church take you away from the church. But if you can't trust the Catholic church (run by men), then try a Prodestant or Lutheran church or some other but don't give up your faith in God because of the failings of men. Attacking Pope John Paul II might make you feel better in the short term, but you will learn that it does not bring you "close to God" (as you said). He didn't like the scandal either and the entire heirarchy should have acted quicker and done more about it. But I don't lose my faith over it, unlike you. Please think about that.

And Brad, get over this Patrick. You should not have used him to smear the whole church with your anti-Catholic views.

I KNOW faith in God is higher than faith in men. I still believe in God--but not in the men. I don't believe in ANY organized religion.
That's because organized religions all over the world have the same goal--power over followers. Some man long ago got up one day & said he knew what God wants & why we're all here.
He didn't know--but he said he did because he saw an opportunity to gain status & power over others with his claims.
That's basically how all religions got started.
Nobody really knows why we're here.
But everybody WANTS to know--so religion fills a need.

When you said "He" didn't like the sex scandal either--if you meant "He" as in God, I agree.

I'm not "attacking" the Pope. I'm just telling the truth.

If you meant "He" as in the dead Pope--it's true he didn't like the sex scandal but only because it exposed just how morally bankrupt the leadership in the Catholic Church really is: To have so little love & decency that you simply cover your own ass in a heinous criminal act like this & try to intimidate the victim into being quiet is morally repugnant. Then to make the parishes go bankrupt just to avoid paying all the damages you caused to all those little kids that trusted you & close churches--when those bishops could pay a large part of it themselves out of their own wealth because they owe it--is beyond the pale.
That indicates one hell of a lot of nerve & a very smug taking of your "flock of sheep" for granted.
YOU may continue to want them for your spiritual leaders, but I do not.

The buck stops with the Pope, who is supposedly "Christ's Vicar on Earth". He appointed all those bishops who let this happen. It still IS happening in other countries around the world, as we speak. I read where Ireland has hundreds of cases.
Would Jesus have protected priests who perform criminal acts on his followers from punishment?
No.
He would have forgiven them, after a sincere confession, but they would still need to be punished. I believe Jesus would have been very stern with them, in no uncertain terms, & seen to it they were taken away from proximity with our children. That is just the decent thing to do.
Our Church claims they didn't know you are supposed to remove perverts from further contact with children.
If you choose to believe them, (& you have to get a mighty BIG & TALL drink of water to swallow that one)--so be it.
I refuse to allow those nasty old farts to use my emotions, money & my loyalty to their own advantage ever again.
Dump on me once, shame on you.
Dump on me twice, shame on me.

Charlene,
I understand your anger at the issue because I am also angry at those men using their role as priests to take advantage of children. Those men should be severely punished. The Cardinals and Bishops who protected them should have been punished too by the Pope. I did hear that Pope John Paul II was very saddened by the sexual abuse done by the priests, not just because of the visibility of their abuse (as you believe) but because he was hurt by those who were trusted to work with their parishioners toward the goal of knowing God.

When you say "To have so little love & decenty", are you accusing Pope John Paul II of that? I would put that on those priests who did the deed in the first place. Then on the Bishops who protected them. IF those Bishops would not act, then petition the Pope to make changes. If he does not, well, then I agree that is a problem. But I don't lose my faith because of it. I protect my children and watch over my parish.

The goal of every organization is to protect itself and to grow itself. That includes organized religion. Those "nasty old farts", as you said, are the biggest problem that the Catholic Church has today. Yes, it has bankrupted churches in legal fees to pay lawyers and victims. Also the parishes are paying for that instead of mostly funding community help and missions for the poor.

But again, you are painting the entire church with the actions of the bad bunch. I hear your anger, but that is not fair to the thousands of good priests out there. When 1% of all priests are bad, that leaves 99% of priests that are good. What do you say to them? Guilt by association? I hope not.

The priest who conducted my marriage ceremony knew my wife before meeting me because she was a lector at the church for years. In one sermon in 2004 he apologized for any wrongs that anybody thought had been done to them by members of the church. He did that even though he has nothing to do with the scandals. The good priests are truly pained by the bad priests. The good priests want it to stop and they want the bad priests to be removed. But they have to be careful as to what they say in public. Some priests won't even talk about abortion in their sermons while others do.

I want all the bad priests and bishops to be removed and the good priests to be elevated.

I also want those like Patrick, the subject of this blog post, to understand that speaking hatefully and then identifying himself as a Catholic is hurtful to all Catholics. I understand his anger too. Like most WWII veterans, he is angry at the lack of support for national defense by today's Democrat party compared to the WWII-era Democrats.

As a Christian myself I'm sorry this person was so mean to you Brad. It always amazes me the people who proclaim to be the loudest Christian's turn around and act like this with cussing and doing anything opposite against what Jesus said. Whatever happened to "love thy neighbor as thy self"? Keep up the good fight Brad! Thank you for all your hard work.

I wanted to comment to Ed on how us Christian's are told what to think. Nope, not true. I'm very Christian but I'm a very liberal person. I have never been told what to think or who to vote for. I go to a church who does not get political (thank goodness). In Proverbs King Solmon a few times told how you should always think for yourself and never blindly follow anybody because they could be leading you the wrong direction. So not all of us are brainwashed idiots and I find it insulting to my brain and independence as a person to be sterotyped.

To Mike J you should try to find the documentries "With God On Our Side" and "God in the White House." It's how the republicans use religious voters for power. They're both very good (and scary) docs I found on the Sundance Channel. I hope you can find them because I think it will enlighten you on why so many religious people have been duped into voting for republicans.

#32 Mike J
Thank you for attempting to help me. I'm fine, thank you, even though I no longer believe.

Since you brought it up, EVERY priest WAS involved in the sex scandal & shares in the guilt.
Here's why:
Priests talk to each other, take vacations together, join support groups together etc. They are very intelligent as a group. They hear things, see things, went through seminary together where they saw things--they KNOW the "dirt" on each other. They hear the gossip. They all knew this went on. They lie when they claim they didn't. (There may be a handful somewhere in a remote place that didn't know, but even they SHOULD have known. It's an obligation you have when you are a leader in an organization--to know what is gong on in it)

Did they approach their superiors & insist that this all must stop within say, a 2 year period, or else they would have to go public with it? (As an example of what they COULD have done if they gave a rat's ass about anyone but themselves)
No.
What DID they do?
Nothing. Except just gossip about it amongst themselves.
That's criminal too.
It's called aiding & abetting in a court of law.
None of the priests felt enough compassion for the children that were victims of these perverts to step up to the plate & protect them. This shows a large moral failure on the part of men who supposedly have dedicated their lives to God.
Instead of God, they were actually dedicated to their own careers in the church, which would have been damaged by threatening their superiors with exposure.
Yet, that's what Jesus would have done...

I don't let them off with "that's the goal of every organization--to protect itself & grow itself". The church is supposed to be different. "By their faith you will know them.." The Pope could have let it be known among the ranks that this behavior would no longer be tolerated, as it had been in the past, when he first came into the papacy. He could have been tough. He could have called bishops into his quarters & rebuked them in no uncertain terms. He did none of that.

You have trouble admitting it, but the Pope is the leader of the church on Earth, he hand-picked these particular men to be his bishops, he set the tone for how things are going to be done in the church, & he is directly responsible that this debauchery occurred on his watch, because he failed to lead responsibly.
I wrote to the Vatican when the Pope was ill & warned him to be sure to make a good confession before he died because God would surely be just as outraged as I was with him, despite all the nice things the world was saying.
What with eternal damnation looming over him & all...I was afraid for him.

I agree with the typo theory, but it is a very strange typo. For once it is halfway across the keyboard. The second thing is that even with blind writing (10 finger system) it does not work. "D" and "L" are both on the third key from the left (having your index-fingers on "F" and "J"). But nobody would mix up the right ring-finger with the left middle-finger, would they?

Except... CAPS!

Our Guy was a bit confused when he tried to write that sentence in all-caps. Which means he did not use caps-lock on his typewriter (this does not look like printed) but instead held one finger on the shift-key all the time. Which is quite hard to do with 10 fingers because you have to change the "shift-hand" constantly.

Well, that's sorted out. Guy is an oldtimer, using a mechanical typewriter, uses 10-finger system, but does not write very often and probably wrote an all-caps sentence the first time. Dr. Watson, i presume we have found our man

Charlene,
Ok, I just read your response to me here. I understand more of what you think on the Catholic priests scandal. You have convinced me that the previous Pope should have done a lot more about the scandal. But I am not convinced that all priests throughout the whole country, as you are implying, knew who the bad priests were. When you talk about all the priests getting together and demanding that it stop, that sounds like going on strike or a revolt. Ask a priest to be sure, but I think that this kind of behavior is not acceptable either in the hierarchy of the church. Because the Pope is "Christ's vicar on earth", then the priests are to believe that the Pope is choosen not only by the conference of Cardinals, but also choosen by God. Therefore for a priest to rebel against the Pope, he is rebelling against God. However, I admit to being a bit troubled after reading how you describe the problem. Because if the Pope is choosen by God, then how could the Pope not do something stronger about the priest scandals? and Does this mean that God didn't want the scandals to be corrected?

You have given me something to think about. I don't like your insults in the newer forum than this, but I will still think about this topic.

Who told you that the Pope is "chosen by God" & that the Catholic Church is the "one true church"? The Pope & his Cardinals.

The Pope & his Cardinals are also the same ones who have chosen to protect themselves & their priests from criminal prosecution for raping the children of the very people who financially support & trust them, & they still are doing it in Europe. They chose to protect themselves rather than save the little innocent children of their own friends from being raped!

The Pope & his Cardinals have proven, by their own actions, that they CANNOT be trusted, that they are MORALLY BANKRUPT & decidedly UNHOLY inside, no matter what they SAY on the outside.

Do you suppose, that since the Pope & his Cardinals have proven themselves to be morally bankrupt & decidedly UNHOLY, perhaps they've also LIED about being "chosen by God" & "the one, true Church" also??
Do you suppose that their claim that "all authority comes from God" & is vested in the Pope could be a tad self-serving?
Perhaps a way for the "Shepards" to grab all the money & power they can get from their "sheep"?

After all, they don't allow the "faithful" to decide where donations go--they let us "advise" & then they do whatever they damn well please with OUR money--claiming their authority comes from GOD.
That MAY have been neccessary back in feudal times, when the "faithful" were uneducated & the hierarchy were the only ones literate. It doesn't make any sense now.

MY conclusion, after examining the evidence, is that the Catholic Church is bogus.

Does that realization kill my relationship with God?
No. I've always felt close to God, no thanks to them.

I think, from examining the evidence & looking at what they DO & not just listening to what they SAY--that they're a bunch of ruthless old men who want power & money & use "the faithful" to get it.
They 'talk the talk' but they sure don't 'walk the walk'.
Not even close.

Why do you say the priests didn't know "who the bad priests were"?
Did YOU know who the bad kids were in YOUR school?
Of course you did.
Everyone did.
So do they.

Besides, it isn't about KNOWING who the bad priests were anyway, it's about KNOWING that the hierarchy protected these perverts & sent them to other parishes to rape some more & covered it up & intimidated the "faithful" into keeping quiet.
THAT is what is so very evil.

I am no saint, just an average person. Yet if my own husband or son were a sexual pervert, I could not stand to live with myself if I didn't stop them.
Think about that.
Could you?
How twisted would you have to be to protect your own & just move away & allow them to be around children again? And that is not even speaking of letting them rape people that you have a trusting relationship with & who financially support you too!
So, how could they?

What kind of behavior the church "allows" the priests to have does not matter when they're RAPING kids, Mike!!!!
When you know kids are being RAPED there is no following rules of behavior or protocol!
You stop the rapes any way you can!
Right is might.
Spiritual people should know that.
Even Jesus himself took a whip in anger & beat the hell, literally, out of the "money-changers" outside the temple because he was so angry with their sin!